Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods and devices for amplifying a plurality of targets in a single PCR run while distinguishing between clinically relevant amplification and amplification from other sources such as from background contamination. The methods and devices further enable discrimination between gram-positive, gram-negative and fungal infections as wells as identify antimicrobial resistance genes. When applying the methods and devices of the invention, the species or genus of an infection(s), and genus of a fungal co-infection(s) or category of bacterial (gram-positive or negative) co-infection(s) are identified. Species identification of co-infections can also be achieved. Further, when applying the methods and devices of the invention, organisms which are likely to be contaminating organisms from a blood draw are identified.

Abstract: A highly configurable controller is described that includes a number of different types of control mechanisms that emulate a wide variety of conventional control mechanisms using pressure and location sensitive sensors that generate high-density control information which may be mapped to the controls of a wide variety of devices and software.

Abstract: There is disclosed a transdermal analyte sensor device. The device includes a sensor cartridge having a membrane permeable to a target analyte transdermally received from a subject, a reservoir containing a fluid to receive the target analyte through the membrane and an enzyme to react with the target analyte to form a byproduct, a working electrode to generate an electrical current based on a concentration of a byproduct, and a cartridge electrical contact to transmit the electrical current. The device also includes a device body having a device electrical contact to receive the electrical current from the cartridge electrical contact, a transmitter to transmit a signal based on the electrical current to a monitoring device, and a cartridge receptacle to receive the sensor cartridge and position the membrane to contact skin of the subject.

Abstract: A tank and liquid level indicator has first housing that holds a liquid and a second elongated housing in fluid communication with the first elongated housing so that a liquid level in the second housing is approximately equal to the level in the first housing. A float in the second housing cooperates with the circuitry to operate one or more light switches. A light-transmissive cover is disposed over the light source.

Abstract: This disclosure provides devices and methods for 3-D device packaging with backside interconnections. One or more device elements can be hermetically sealed from an ambient environment, such as by vacuum lamination and bonding. One or more via connections provide electrical interconnection from a device element to a back side of a device substrate, and provide electrical interconnection from the device substrate to external circuitry on the back side of the device. The external circuitry can include a printed circuit board or flex circuit. In some implementations, an electrically conductive pad is provided on the back side, which is electrically connected to at least one of the via connections. In some implementations, the one or more via connections are electrically connected to one or more electrical components or interconnections, such as a TFT or a routing line.

Abstract: An optical fiber-mounted field sensor for measuring an electric or magnetic field includes an optical fiber configured to receive light from a laser source, a polarizer, a polarization manipulator, electro-optical material or magneto-optical material adjacent to the polarization manipulator, and a high reflection coating. The polarizer is adjacent to an output of the fiber, while the polarization manipulator is adjacent to the polarizer and opposite of the optical fiber. The electro-optical material or magneto-optical material is adjacent to the polarization manipulator, and the high reflection coating is adjacent to the electro-optical material or magneto-optical material. An optical mainframe for sending and receiving optical beams to and from the optical fiber-mounted field sensor is also described.

Abstract: A film, and a light-emitting device (e.g., an OLED) incorporating the film as an emission layer, have luminescent emitters that are maintained in a desired orientation by incorporating them into a crystalline framework material, such as a metal-organic framework (MOF), covalent organic framework (COF), or porous coordination polymer. The crystal structure in the film has at least one crystallographic axis that is aligned substantially parallel to the planar surface of the film and/or the planar surface of a device substrate on which the film is deposited or grown. The luminescent emitters are held and oriented in the unit cells of the crystalline framework material such that their transition dipoles are substantially parallel to the crystallographic axis, which is in turn substantially parallel to the surface of the film or emission layer of the device through which light is emitted, resulting in improved outcoupling of light.

Abstract: Highly expressive and flexibly programmable foot-operated controllers are described. Specific implementations are intended for musical applications and allow musicians an unprecedented degree of control of a wide variety of musical components and subsystems for recording and/or performance.

Abstract: A low-power image sensor includes a plurality of light-sensitive pixel cells, a plurality of analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and image processing circuitry. The image sensor can be disposed in multiple semiconductor layers such that the pixel cells are disposed in a first layer and various other components are disposed in the second layer or between the first layer and the second layer. The image sensor is configured such that the analog output of a pixel cell is sampled by a first ADC and a second ADC within respective first and second dynamic ranges, the second dynamic range being greater than the first dynamic range. The first ADC and the second ADC sample the analog output with different sampling resolutions. The digital outputs of the first ADC and the second ADC are subsequently used by an image processor to generate a pixel value for an image frame.

Abstract: Detection of corrosion and other defects in piping is needed to prevent catastrophic pipeline failure. Sensors, systems and methods are provided to enable detection of such defects. These apparatus and methods are configured to characterize pipe protected by insulation and conductive weather protection. The sensors may utilize inductive and/or solid state sensing element arrays operated in a magnetic field generated in part by a drive winding of the sensor. Multiple excitation frequencies are used to generate the magnetic field and record corresponding sensing element responses. Relatively high excitation frequencies may be used to estimate the properties of the weather protection and sensor lift-off while lower frequencies may be used to detect internal and external pipe damage. Linear arrays may be moved to generate damage images of the pipe providing size and location information for defects. Two dimensional sensor arrays may be used to provide imaging without moving the sensor.

Abstract: A computer system comprises a sensor device configured to attach to a rotating object. The sensor device has a gyroscopic sensor that is configured to measure rotational motion on one or more planes. The sensor device detects rotational movement and generates and transmits signals that represent the rotational movement detected to a mobile computing device. The mobile computing device receives the signals and assigns timestamp values to the signals. The mobile computing device also receives object parameter information that describes object attributes. The mobile computing device generates angular velocity datasets and object datasets that describe motion or positions of the object. The mobile computing device then generates sets of graphical representations from the object datasets and displays graphs from the sets of graphical representations, where each graph displayed is obtained from a distinct set of graphical representations.

Abstract: Monitoring of one or more key indicators can provide powerful insights into the operation and state of different physical systems. For example, continuous monitoring of multiple analytes in a subject allows for detailed insights into personal health as well as allowing for the implementation of preventative health measures. Herein are described design and processing methods for a small wireless multi-analyte sensing platform that can be used to monitor multiple analytes such as glucose, lactate, Urea and other physicochemical quantities. The design techniques and processing methods presented herein can be used for a multitude of other applications and are not limited to those described here.

Abstract: A sensor system has an integrated sensor cartridge, and instrument, and an instrument side connector. The integrated sensor cartridge has a mechanical support, a flexible sensor array, and a rigid connector. The mechanical support is shaped to facilitate sensor measurements on a test object. The rigid connector has a mechanical connection and an electrical connection for simultaneous electrical and mechanical mating of the sensor cartridge to the instrument side connector. The flexible array has a connecting portion, a lead portion, and a sensing portion. The sensing portion is attached to the mechanical support, and the connecting portion interfaces with the rigid connector. The connecting portion may form the electrical connection of the rigid connector or may simply mate internally with the electrical connection. The instrument side connector is connected to the instrument which measures the response of the flexible sensor array.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods and devices for amplifying a plurality of targets in a single PCR run while distinguishing between clinically relevant amplification and amplification from other sources such as from background contamination. The methods and devices further enable discrimination between gram-positive, gram-negative and fungal infections as wells as identify antimicrobial resistance genes. When applying the methods and devices of the invention, the species or genus of an infection(s), and genus of a fungal co-infection(s) or category of bacterial (gram-positive or negative) co-infection(s) are identified. Species identification of co-infections can also be achieved. Further, when applying the methods and devices of the invention, organisms which are likely to be contaminating organisms from a blood draw are identified.

Abstract: Several embodiments include a method of computing void fraction in a two-phase mixture in a pipe. A driver and a transmitter antenna can transmit a radio frequency (RF) signal through the pipe. The pipe can convey the two-phase mixture extracted from a geothermal well. The RF signal can pass through the two-phase mixture. A receiver antenna in the pipe can receive the RF signal. A receiver circuit can measure signal strength attenuations of the RF signal at the receiver antenna over a time window. A computation engine can compute an average of the signal strength attenuations over the time window. The computation engine or another computing device can then compute, in real-time, a change in a void fraction of the two-phase mixture based on the average of the signal strength attenuations.

Abstract: Obscured feature detectors are disclosed. An obscured feature detector includes a sensor plate array including three or more sensor plates, each of the three or more sensor plates configured to form a first end of a corresponding electric field and to take a sensor reading of the corresponding electric field. The corresponding electric field varies based on a proximity of the sensor plate to one or more surrounding objects and on a material property of each of the one or more surrounding objects. The three or more sensor plates include a first sensor plate that has a first shape and a second sensor plate that has a second shape that is different from the first shape of the first sensor plate. The obscured feature detector also includes one or more common plates to form a second end of the corresponding electric field of the three or more sensor plates.

Abstract: Steering wheel sensor systems are described in which a sensor array is attached to or integrated with a steering wheel and provides information about the forces exerted on the steering wheel for interacting with or controlling other vehicle systems.

Abstract: An obscured feature detector can include a plurality of sensor plates and a common plate. The sensor plates may be arranged linearly to form a sensor array. The common plate may extend along the sensor array and have a length that is shortened. An end sensor plate at an end of the sensor array has a smaller area than a non-end sensor plate that is not at the end of the sensor array. A controller coupled to the sensing circuit can analyze the capacitances measured by the sensing circuit. One or more indicators are coupled to the controller, and each can be selectively set to identify a location of an obscured feature behind a surface, or otherwise indicate variances of capacitance measurements along the sensor array. Other disclosed obscured feature detectors include a plurality of sensor plates arranged radially around a center point.

Abstract: A gas sensor comprises at least one transducer and a sensing material (e.g., a metal-organic framework) disposed on the transducer. The sensing material has a temperature-dependent gas sorption behavior. A detector is arranged to detect responses of the transducer to sorption and/or desorption of a target gas in the sensing material and to output transducer measurement signals indicative of the transducer responses. At least one thermal element changes the temperature of the sensing material by heating and/or cooling, and at least one temperature sensor (which may be integral with the thermal element) is arranged to measure a temperature of the sensing material. At least one processor determines the quantity (e.g., concentration, partial pressure, or mass) of the target gas according to the temperature of the sensing material at which the transducer measurement signals satisfy a signal value condition.

Abstract: An infrared thermal emitter includes a substrate, a light-emitting unit and an infrared-emitting unit. The light-emitting unit is disposed on the substrate in a laminating direction and has a light-exiting surface away from the substrate. The infrared-emitting unit is disposed on the substrate in the laminating direction to cover the light-emitting unit and includes a layered structure having a light-absorbing layer that is aligned with the light-emitting unit in the laminating direction. The light-absorbing layer absorbs light emitted from the light-emitting unit so as to be heated up and to generate infrared radiation.